NBI: Palace forgery politically motivated

 The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has found sufficient evidence to conclude that the forgery of the President's signature purportedly accepting Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara's resignation was politically-motivated.

The NBI Special Action Unit (SAU) unearthed evidence that the controversy that followed the falsification was actually anticipated and deliberately planned by the forgers.

Sources at SAU, however, refused to disclose the details of their "breakthrough" pending the submission of their final report to NBI director Federico Opinion Jr. today. "What do the forgers stand to gain in faking the signature, when in fact it was crude and could be easily verified in Malacañang?" asked the NBI source. "We believe it was meant more to embarrass Malacañang. The 2001 elections is just around the corner, right?"

The NBI had earlier asked the President for a two week extension after it had failed to come up with anything substantial. The NBI's original deadline was Jan. 3.

The latest findings were a complete turnaround from the NBI's initial suspicion that the letter was made by a low-ranking Department of Agriculture (DA) insider attempting a prank.

"The forgers made a blunder, they must not have anticipated that we would be able to track them down," said the informant.

The breakthrough reportedly came in the form of the letter's bar codes or holograms. The bar codes used to make the acceptance letter appear genuine were recycled from a Malacañang confidential letter to former DA Secretary William Dar and a travel permit for Isabela Gov. Benjamin Dy.

The NBI, however, was quick in clearing the two of any involvement in the forgery. "It has nothing to do with them," said another source.

Still, the NBI stopped short of making a guaranty that an indictment was forthcoming.

"We could tell the President who is the mastermind of all these but we are not sure if the evidence we have is enough to merit court prosecution," added the source.